Ontario is Canada’s most populated province. It is the center of the nation’s economic, social, and political life, making it the country’s most popular landing destination for immigrants from around the world.

Ontario Provincial Nominee Program

Ontario’s Provincial Nominee Program is called Opportunities Ontario. It is basically an immigration scheme, via which the province proffers nomination to people & their families for the prized Permanent Resident (PR) status, on the basis of a pre-sanctioned offer of employment in the province.

Ontario instituted Opportunities Ontario to duly assist recruiters/firms succeed in the international competition for skilled people. Significantly, Opportunities Ontario has a goal of 2,500 nominations this year, i.e., in 2014. Once an applicant receives an Ontario Provincial Nomination Certificate, it will allow him to file a petition for Canadian PR status with processing times that are faster than any other Canadian immigration classes.

Opportunities Ontario accepts submissions under three immigration categories:

Skilled Worker: In order to make the cut and be accepted, the applicants should:

•  Have not less than two years of work experience within the previous five years in the intended line-of-work, or possess appropriate registration in Ontario, in case applying for a position in a regulated occupation.
• Possess a permanent full-time job offer in a skilled occupation NOC 0, A or B that the Provincial Nominee Program has sanctioned and is still valid.
• Have legal status, if the soon-to-be nominee is in Canada, e.g., a Work Permit, Temporary Resident Visa.
• Possess a duly signed recruiter’s approval letter & Pre-screen Position form.

Investor

To make the grade, investments must be of significant importance to Ontario, and must create work-opportunities for the local citizens. New investments and expansions to current operations are eligible and investments need to meet the following eligibility guidelines:

• The investment must gain an official approval from a different Ontario ministry at the Deputy Minister level for the investment, & the figure of major positions requested.
• The amount of the investment is not less than $3,000,000.
•  The investment must generate not less than 5 permanent full-time jobs for the citizens or permanent residents in the province.
• The investment has to also obey Immigration and Refugee Protection Regulations.

To qualify the applicants must:

• Be vigorously involved, on an ongoing basis, in the administration of the business.
• Manage, or will manage, at least 33.334% of the equity in the business, or make not less than an investment of $1 million in the business.
• Not have the alternative of redeeming the investment post a specific time-frame.
• Make an investment of the capital in the business not for the chief object of deriving interest, dividends or capital gains.

International Student, with Job Offer Stream

To qualify applicants must:

• Have completed at least half of their studies in the country, and have graduated or will soon be graduating from an eligible publicly funded Canadian college or university.
• Have concluded a minimum of a two-year diploma or degree program, while studying on a full-time basis. One-year post-graduate degree programs and certificate programs, which require a previous degree or diploma which may have been obtained abroad, are also eligible.
• Have a job offer in a managerial, professional or skilled trades occupation (NOC 0, A or B). However, the job offer does not have to be related to the field of study.
• Have a job offer that is permanent and full-time and meets the entry level wage for the occupation.
• Apply within two years of the date on which they received their degree or diploma, or in the alternative, during the last semester of completing their degree or diploma.
• Have legal status, if the prospective international student nominee is in the Maple Leaf Country.
• Have received their employer’s approval letter, joint verification form signed by their prospective employer, and Pre-screen Position form.